Sophia could barely sleep that night due to excitement. Everytime she closed her eyes she kept replaying her conversation with Kelvin over and over again. Sterling Enterprises. Even the name felt powerful. Everyone knows that it is among the most thriving corporations in Manhattan. If she could get a job there even if it was at an entry level, her life could change.
By 5 a.m., Sophia was already awake, so she went to shower. Brought out her best blouse and ironed it until there was no wrinkle on it anymore. She brushed her hair meticulously and packed it into a neat ponytail. She put on lipgloss and a little mascara giving her a professional look. Granny came into the kitchen and saw Sophia gulping down a piece of pancake.
"You look so pretty. Today will be a good day, I can feel it" Granny said.
" I hope so, Granny. I really do." She said while smiling nervously.
Isabella walked in with her school bag on her back.
"You are going to get the job, Soph." She confidently said as she hugged her sister. "Then we can celebrate with pizza," she added.
Sophia laughed. "Deal"
She left the apartment just as the sun began to rise over Brooklyn. The subway was already crowded, but Sophia barely noticed. Her heart was beating so fast the whole ride to Manhattan.
Sterling Enterprises was located on Fifth Avenue. As she stood across the tall glass building she felt a rush of nerves. She crossed and entered the building. The lobby looked so nice with polished marble floors. People in sharp suits, walking around with intent.
"Okay," she whispered to herself. "You've got this Sophia".
She walked to the reception desk.
"Good morning," the receptionist said, giving her a warm and polite smile.
"Good morning. My name is Sophia Andrews. I'm here for an interview". Sophia said as she handed the receptionist her ID.
The receptionist nodded, typed something into her computer completely and handed Sophia a visitors badge. "Take the elevator to the 21st floor. HR will be waiting".
Sophia's palms were sweating. She went into the elevator and tapped on the 21st button. By the time the elevator doors opened. Kelvin was already waiting for her in the hallway, smiling warmly.
"There you are," he said. "I'm pretty sure you must be very nervous, don't worry I will walk you in." Sophia politely thanked him.
The HR office was nice and decorated with modern and tasteful decorations. A middle aged woman greeted Sophia and led her to the conference room where the meeting would be taking place.
The interview was fast. She was asked different questions about her degree, work ethic and other things. Sophia answered to her best ability, keeping her voice calm even though her heart was pounding. She needed this job and another rejection might just break her. When it was all over, she stepped into the hallway and found Kelvin still waiting. He smiled at her.
"Well." He smiled expectantly.
Sophia decided to have a little fun and pull Kelvin's leg. "I think I flopped the interview," she said with a serious expression on her face.
Kelvin's smile faded. "Oh no, I'm so sorry."
Sophia broke into a smile. "I'm just joking, I got the job".
Kelvin burst out laughing. He shook his head. "You gave me a scare. Congratulations Sophia. When do you start?".
"I start on Monday. Thank you very much for everything". Sophia said to Kelvin.
"You deserve it. How about I take you out for lunch to celebrate".
Sophia hesitated, it didn't sound like a bad idea but she wanted to share this moment with her family.
"I will pass." She said with a smile. "I want to go home and inform my grandmother and sister. Maybe next time"
Sophia nearly ran up the stairs to their apartment building. Isabella was the first person she met at the door.
"Well," Isabella said anxiously.
Sophia's smile said it all. Isabella screamed and jumped into her sister's arms. Hearing the commotion, Granny came out of the kitchen.
"You got it?" Granny asked with tears already flowing from her eyes.
"Yes!" Sophia said, hugging her tightly. "I got the job"
"God is good. I know he will answer all our prayers". Granny said.
That evening, Sophia went grocery shopping with the little money that she had kept in her savings. She made a proper meal that evening- fried rice and chicken. She even bought juice. They sat down together and ate talking about how things were about to change for them. For the first time in a long while the atmosphere in their small home was joyful.
After dinner, Sophia called her best friend, Laura to share the good news. Laura congratulated her but her tone didn't sound right. Sophia didn't put too much thought to it, she was too happy to notice anything. That night was one of the best nights for Sophia.
The next day, she decided to go to the market to pick up a few things. She wore a simple sundress and put her hair up in a bun. The sun was warm. As she walked down the busy street of Brooklyn, she called Laura and they talked about catching up and celebrating together. Because she wasn't paying attention as she crossed the road, she didn't see the car coming.
Tires squealed. A black luxury BMW 7 series stopped just inches away from her. Sophia froze from the shock. The driver jumped out of the car in fright. "Miss, are you alright?. My boss is rushing for a meeting, and I didn't see you—".
"I'm fine," Sophia said. "I wasn't looking".
The rear window rolled down a little and Sophia saw the man in the back seat, she couldn't see his face properly. His eyes focused on her. There was something commanding about him. He called his driver and told him to ask Sophia how much she needed for compensation but Sophia politely refused . This piqued the mysterious man's interest.
"Make sure she gets to wherever she is going to," he said to his driver.
"No, I'm fine, really. You don't have to" she said.
The driver insisted, so Sophia agreed and she found herself sitting at the back seat of this expensive car. The man barely looked at her, he was working on his laptop. His expensive watch glowing.
When they got to the market, Sophia thanked them and stepped out quickly. As she walked away she did not notice that her handkerchief — a small white one that her grandmother had knitted for her, for her birthday, had slipped out from her bag.
Liam Chase looked at it, then picked it up. It was simple, embroidered with a small "S". For some reason he couldn't explain, he put it in his pocket.
"Find out who she is," he told his driver.
The driver nodded. "Yes sir".
That night, Sophia lay in her bed. She felt like she was finally getting a chance. She didn't know what Monday had in store for her but she was ready.
Far away, in a penthouse office overlooking Manhattan, Liam Chase sat at his desk, playing with the handkerchief in his hand. The girl from the street lingered in his thoughts.